You may remember that one of our shooting location for the
Comic Book Literacy documentary was the
Toy & Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. It's a great collection of toys and served as a great backdrop for several interviews. I recently made a quick stop there while I was on the road in the area.
They still have tons of great rotating exhibits but, just as before, the biggest collection was of Batman memorabilia which is housed in the museum's very own Bat Cave. So here's a look at what I thought was the Top 10 pieces in the Batman Collection.
10. Batman Outdoor Fun Pack
You get a yo-yo, a kite and a "flying disc" (Frisbee is a brand name) in this kit. Not to mention kite string. You're going to need that. What's not to like? Now go outside and play!
9. 1874 Batman Talking Alarm Clock
Nothing will get you out of bed faster than the stern, forceful voice of the Dark Knight. You can hear it
HERE. And as a bonus you get the Boy Wonder speeding by in a purple Batmobile.
8. The Adventures of Batman & Robin Whitman's Sampler
Lots of choices in this candy kit between characters and, I assume, candy fillings. What will you get? Robin? Nougat? Poison Ivy? Caramel? Joker? Smilex Fudge? Take a bite and find out!
7. 1973 Batman Paint by Number Set
Let's face it, painting is hard. Not as hard as crime fighting but, similar to crime fighting, it takes years of study to master. Or you can just take the easy route and paint by numbers. I mean, who's gonna stop you?
6. 1969 Big Little Book - Batman: The Cheetah Caper
Lot's of different characters appeared in types of books over the years and, of course, it was only a matter of time before the World's Greatest Detective got his shot. You can check out some page scans
HERE which seem to indicate that this Cheetah is not the Wonder Woman villain but some other weirdo instead.
5. Batman Returns Happy Meal Display
Every time I see one of these in a fast food place I always think to myself that I should ask the manager if I can buy it once the promotion is done. And of course, I never do. When I see one in a collection it reminds me of the shame of my inaction. That's why it's not higher than #5.
4. Giant Lego Batman
There's no Batman like Lego Batman and thankfully this one was saved from the sad fate of rotting in a movie theater dumpster. As a Lego, it falls into both the "toy" and "Batman" categories and a case could be made for calling Lego people "action figures" so this guy is right at home in the Toy & Action Figure Museum.
3. The Adventures of Batman & Robin Colorforms
No character collection is complete without the obligatory box of Colorforms. I would have thought the old school toy stopped being made by the time of this TV show but apparently they are
still alive and well to this day. I'm not sure what to do with that little realization...so let's move on.
2. Batman Comics!
This may seem like a no-brainer to you and me but let's not forget that in the sea of toys, movies and cartoons, some of the youngsters might not even be aware that comics exist, much less that Batman is one of their top guys. It's always nice to have a little reminder of his old school origin.
1. Batmobile Coin-Op Kiddie Ride
There are a few different types of collectors and what separates the real deals from the wannabes is a piece like this. I think this is the Batmobile from Batman Forever and it's made its way from outside the grocery store and right into our hearts. I don't know what usually happens to these things after they are no longer wanted but I think we can all agree that this museum is the right place for this beauty.
